Traveling to Palm Springs

The city of Palm Springs, California, is situated at the foot of the San Jacinto Mountains, on the western edge of the Coachella Valley, and within the Colorado Desert. While Palm Springs is the most known city, it is within what’s called “Greater Palm Springs.” This Coachella Valley of cities encompasses eight cities in addition to Palm Springs: Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio, and Coachella. This is something to keep in mind in case you are driving yourself here or booking a transport service.

Flying to Palm Springs, CA

The Palm Springs International Airport is conveniently situated and provides direct or connecting flights to most major cities. This airport was recently renovated and now allows for many international arrivals. It is located only 20 minutes away from Downtown Palm Springs, which makes it very accessible. There are nonstop flights to over 30 different airports and one-stop travel possibilities to over 500 cities worldwide.

The following are the nonstop flights available so you can consider the best option for you:

• Air Canada
• Toronto – Vancouver (seasonal)
• Alaska Airlines
• Boise – Everett – Portland (seasonal)
• San Francisco – San Jose – Seattle – (year-round)
• Allegiant
• Bellingham – (year-round)
• Des Moines – (seasonal)
• American Airlines
• Austin – Chicago ORD – (seasonal)
• Dallas DFW – Phoenix – (year-round)
• Avelo
• Bend/Redmond – Eugene – Santa Rose – (seasonal)
• Delta
• Atlanta – (seasonal hiatus)
• Minneapolis – Seattle – (seasonal)
• Salt Lake City – (year-round)
• Flair Airlines (Canada)
• Edmonton – Toronto – Vancouver – (seasonal)
• Jet Blue
• Boston – (seasonal hiatus)
• New York JFK – (seasonal)
• Southwest Airlines
• Denver – Las Vegas – Oakland – Phoenix – Sacramento – San Jose (year-round)
• Dallas Love –  (seasonal)
• Portland – (seasonal hiatus)
• Sun Country
• Minneapolis – (seasonal)
• United
• Chicago – Houston – (seasonal)
• Los Angeles – (seasonal hiatus)
• Denver – San Francisco – (year-round)
• Westjet – (Canada)
• Calgary – Vancouver – (year-round)
• Edmonton – Winnipeg – (seasonal)

Driving to Palm Springs, California

There is nothing like a road trip to make the whole trip an experience. If you want to take control of the trip and drive yourself over to Palm Springs you can absolutely do that. The highways are safe and it can be generally cheaper if the distance is relatively short. The following should give you a reasonable estimate of driving time between some nearby cities.

The closest large city to Palm Springs in Los Angeles, California. However, traffic plays a huge role here. Depending on the time of day due to traffic in LA, it can take between 2.5 and 3 hours to drive from Los Angeles to Palm Springs. Similarly, but usually, with less traffic, San Diego is just over 2 hours away. If we explore a little further, from Palm Springs to Arizona or Las Vegas, the road trip increases to up to four hours either way.

Rent a car

If you want to drive and have the flexibility to set your schedule and stops along the way but do not have a vehicle of your own, renting a car is an ideal option for you. This way you can plan your trip and move freely and comfortably during your Palm Springs stay. For example, you can plan on visiting the Joshua Tree National Park and even spend a day or two there knowing you can easily move around.

These are some of the most popular options for rentals and are all available at the Palm Springs Airport

• Enterprise Rent-A-Car,

• Hertz

• Alamo

• Budget Rent-A-Car,  

• Thrifty

Taxis, Uber, and Lyft are available at the airport and can provide a simple ride if that’s what you’re looking for.

If you don’t want to drive find someone that can take you

Maybe you do not necessarily want to drive yourself but do want some car service available, other than Uber. Palm Springs has increased the number of services that offer driving accommodations so you can sit back and relax. There are many options to account for different levels of luxury, privacy, and budgets. These are some of the favorites among users

Alternatives to driving that can make it easier

• Skycap Shuttle Service provides Luxury SUV, Town Car, and Van Shuttle Service to all locations in Palm Springs and surrounding desert cities. It is a great option to move around within the city, and get there from nearby desert cities as well.
• Prime Time Shuttle is the best option if you’re visiting from L.A. They provide service from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Palm Springs.

Bus options

If you’re looking for something that serves a wider radius you may consider some bus tickets.

• Flix Bus offers a budget-friendly and comfortable service option if you are on the west side of the country.

Rail

The Amtrak can leave you in Los Angeles, and then you can choose the best option for you to get to Palm Springs. In this case, the Shuttle mentioned above might be a great choice.

Choose the best option for you and enjoy the journey!